


Jealousy

by Prettyprincess45



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Betrayal, F/M, Forbidden Love, Kisses, Large male ego, Multi, Sneaky Maggie, cocky Daryl, selfish men, why can't we share her?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-25
Updated: 2015-04-22
Packaged: 2018-03-15 05:00:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3434486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prettyprincess45/pseuds/Prettyprincess45
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Slight AU, prison setting) We all know Carl has a crush on Beth. But what happens when he finds out that Daryl and his own father feel the same about her? Uh oh. Let the battles begin! Carl/Rick/Daryl/Beth love square. A story of love, jealousy, betrayal, forbidden love, and, most of all, humor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

~POV: Carl

She had to know that I liked her. Had to. I mean, everyone else seemed to. They would always be like "Aw, you and Beth are so cute!" Especially Maggie. It's kind of annoying.

But I'm not denying that I like her. I do. All the way. I just don't want everyone to know it and make fun of me. It gets embarrassing.

Then again, if dad already heard about it, he would've come to talk to me. Word spreads quickly in the prison. I really hope that he didn't though. That would be mega embarrassing.

Anyway, I think that Beth is starting to like me back. Every time she walks by, I smile at her. And now she's actually starting to smile back at me. And I have to say, I love her smile. And her hair. And the way she walks. Everything about her is perfect.

I hope I don't sound obsessed. Because I think that's where I'm going. I hope not, because then I'll turn into a weirdo, and who wants to hang out with a weirdo?

I have no idea how to tell her how I feel. Do I just go up to her and say "Beth, I have a serious crush on you."? I have no idea. Maybe I should talk to my father about this. I wish mom were here. She's probably know. But maybe dad'll be of assistance. Or maybe not. The only way I'll know for sure is if I ask him, right?

Oh, here she comes. She walking past now. Time to get my smile ready.

XX

~POV: Beth

I get the feeling that Carl likes me. And I mean like-like, like he had a crush on me. I mean, he always smiles whenever I walk by, he always tries to do impressing things like going against his mother's orders, then he smiled and stares at me, waiting for me to tell him he's badass.

I wish I could, but I really don't know what to say to him.

I don't know if I'm crushing on him back. I think I just don't want to ruin this. I never thought that after the world went to hell, people would still have crushes and things. And after my boyfriend died, I never thought of other boys.

But now there was Carl. Maggie keeps urging me to tell him how I feel, even though I don't want to. I don't know how I feel. Honestly.

Every time he smiles at me, I smile back, feeling a little warm inside.

It feels good to be liked.

XX

~POV: Rick

God, I feel like shit. Not only do we need more medical supplies, I think that I'm falling in love again. I can't believe it. I never thought if feel this way, especially after I just lost Lori a while ago.

I don't like to think about Lori anymore. I mean, I still do think about all of our memories, but every time I do, my heart sinks an dreams into a million pieces.

But Beth Greene is starting to change that. Yeah, you read that right. I'm falling for the little blond cowgirl, the one that I know my son likes. I know, I'm a little old for her. She's only 19. But the world is hell now, none of those kinds of things matter anymore.

It's not like I'm forgetting about Lori now, I never could, I was just starting calm down a bit. I was starting to ease out of the phase of denial, and moving into acceptance.

I wonder how my son would feel about this. His old man is starting to fall for his crush. He'd probably be disgusted.

But that doesn't mean I'm going to stop. Hell no. My son can fight all he wants, but in the end, I'll be the one holding Beth in my arms. And he's going to have to accept it.

XX

~POV: Daryl

Rick and Carl are both fools if they think that they are good enough fo' Beth. Hell naw. They shouldn't even be lookin' at her.

They should learn that Beth is the one for me. Carl might think that she likes him back, but she doesn't. And I'm gonna let him know.

I know I may sound stupid saying it, but I'm in love. I thought it would never happen. I've always liked being alone, but now I'm going to need a blond cowgirl by my side.

I hope I'm not soundin' like a pansy here.

When Beth walks by me, I always see 'er blush in' and lookin' down at her feet. I know how it is. She wants me. Not Carl, not Rick. But me.

They'll realize it soon enough. And if they don't, they betta be ready. I'm ain't givin' up that easy.


	2. It's about to go down!!

~POV: Carl

I saw my dad sitting in a cell, staring blankly at the wall. He had Judith in his arms. It looks like he's thinking about something. I wonder what he was thinking about. Probably mom.

Judith was beginning to look a lot like mom, but nothing like dad. Every rind I looked at my sister, I saw my mom and Shane in her eyes, not dad. And I kind of feel bad, because I'm sure that my dad notices this too.

I walk into the cell slowly. "Hey dad." I say, and my father's head pops up.

"Sssh." Dad says, putting a finger to his lips. "She's sleeping." He told me. I say down beside him.

"Can I hold her?" I asked him. Just ask him, Carl. Ask him for advice. I thought.

My dad handed me my sister gently. I looked at her, trying hard to spot my father in her. I just couldn't.

I looked back up at my dad. "Dad... Can I ask you something?" I asked quietly, so I didn't wake Judith up. I looked back down at her. Her eyes were still shut, and she was snoring gently. I looked back up at my dad, who looked puzzled.

"Yes." He whispered.

"How do you uh... How do you..." I started, but I couldn't finish. How am I supposed to ask him this?

"How do you what?" He asked. I felt my face grow red.

"How do uh... You know..." I was helplessly stuck. It was like I had ran out of words.

"No I don't know." He said.

I sat in silence for a few seconds, until I had finally thought of what to say. "I'm having some girl problems." I said.

My dad laughed. "Girl problems? Carl, you're too young for that. Trust me, you don't want to get into girls this early."

But I knew that I did. "I am though. How to you tell a girl that you like her?" I ask.

"Who do you like?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.

Should I tell him? Or lie? If I lied, he could find out. Then again, if I told him, he might go around telling everyone. I sighed. "Beth." I said quietly. He probably already knew about it anyway.

"Beth? Maggie's sister?" He asked.

"Is there another Beth?" I wanted to say. But instead, I opted for a bland "Yeah."

"Oh. She's a little old for you, no?" He asked.

In my lap, Judith's head moved. But she didn't wake up. "No. Only a few years."

"You're too young Carl. Even if this the apocalypse." He told me sharply.

"But dad..." I pleaded. But I was too loud. Judith woke up and began to wail. I handed her to my dad.

"Talk to me later... I have to deal with your sister for awhile." He told me.

I got up, and walked out of his cell.

Why was dad being like this?

XX

~POV: Rick

When Carl walked into my cell, I knew exactly what he wanted. I knew that he wanted help to get Beth.

But I wasn't going to give it to him. I know it sounds wrong to do that as a father, but I didn't know what to say. "Oh, Beth? Guess what? I'm in love with her too. No big deal." I couldn't say that.

Maybe I should give him a little something. A tiny piece of advice wouldn't hurt. Maybe he wouldn't hate me so much, like I was starting to sense that he was.

I don't know. I looked down at my daughter, who was falling into a deep sleep once again. I sighed in relief. Then, just as quickly as she shut her eyes, she opened them back up and cried.

"Rick?" I heard a small, sweet voice asked. I knew exactly who it was without looking up.

"Hey Beth." I said.

"I'll hold her for a little bit." She said.

"Who?" I asked.

"Judith. Do you mind?" She said, pointing and giggling.

"Oh. Of course not." I handed the baby to her. She say down beside me, right where Carl had been seated before.

She rocked the baby gently. Then she began to song to it. I looked at her and smiled. She had such a beautiful voice. Every kid would fall asleep and feel calm listening to her. Hell, even adults should feel that way. I did.

When she finished singing her song, she handed the baby back to me. She smiled. "She's sleeping now." She said, then she got up and left the cell.

I almost called out to her. But I didn't.

XX

~POV: Daryl

"Stop lookin' at 'er." I growled at Rick as we were gettin' food in the prison cafeteria. I caught him staring at Beth like 6 times since we came down here. She was talking to Maggie, gigglin' at everythin' she said. I wonder if she was talkin' 'bout me.

"What?" Rick asked, actin' like he wasn't doin' anything.

"You know what you were doin'! Don't play wit me." I practically spat.

Rick ignored me and picked up some more food. As he was doing that, I saw him look at Beth again.

"Jus stop staring at her! Christ!" I shouted. Rick almost dropped his food.

"Why is it you care?" He shot back, and I almost punched him. He's lucky I didn't.

"'Cause she ain't yours." I said real plain and simple.

He stared at me. "She isn't yours either. She was just in my cell." Wow he sounded like a child.

"So? She was probably seein' the baby."

He shrugged and walked away.

"She ain't yours." I said agin as he moved out of sight.

XX

~POV: Beth

In the cafeteria, Maggie told me something important. It was kind of exciting, actually. She told me that I not only had Carl pining for me, but 2 more guys as well. There weren't too many options, but I wanted to know exactly.

"Who?" I asked her.

"I can't tell ya." Maggie said. Did she just want to get me angry? Or did she actually promise someone not to tell.

"Yes ya can." I replied.

"Ok." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "See them over there?" She pointed. I followed her finger. She was pointing to... Rick and Daryl. That couldn't be right. I followed the finger again. It still lead to Rick and Daryl.

"Rick and Daryl?" I asked, just to be sure.

"Yeah. Glenn heard them talkin' about you. They were fighting. He just told me." I looked back over at Rick and Daryl. Daryl shouted something, and Rick walked away.

"Where's Glenn?" I asked.

"He's back at the cell." She answered.

"Already? I thought that he just heard them?"

"Yeah, but he didn't listen for too long."

"Can I talk to him?"

"Go ahead."

I raced to Maggie and Glenn's cell. But on the way, I checked on my dad. He still didn't wake up. I sighed. Then I ran into Maggie and Glenn's cell.

Glenn was sitting in the cell, food in his hand.

"Hey." I said, sitting next to him.

"Hi." He answered.

I decided to jump to the point. "So, Rick and Daryl were talking 'bout me?" I asked him.

"Yeah. I heard Daryl say something like 'stop looking at her.' When Rick was looking your way."

"That's it?" I asked.

"That's all I heard." He said.

I guess it was somethin'. "Thanks." I smiled, gave him a wave, got up, and left the cell.

XX

~POV: Carl

I saw my dad in his cell shortly after I left. I went back to talk to him again, and there he was, sitting in the cell. With Beth. And she was singing to the baby. And they were staring at echo they dreamily. Ugh.

How do I feel? Betrayed. Why would my dad do this? He knows that I like Beth. He knows it. Plus, he's too old for her. Why, dad? Why?

Then it all clicked. That's why my dad kicked me out of his cell. So he could be with Beth. That's why he was telling me that I was too young and she was too old, all of that blah blah. Now I knew the truth.

Think you're getting Beth, dad? Think again.


	3. Gifts and Arm Wrestling

~POV: Carl

I watched her as she walked into my cell. It was late at night, and at the sound of her footsteps, I awoke from my not so deep sleep. What was she doing here anyway? Not like I cared. At least she was here.

"Hey Carl." She said, smiling at me and sitting on my bed. What was she doing? I was still all covered up in my blankets, and I was half awake. Was I seeing things?

"Carl?" She asked.

"Yeah?" I asked. How lame.

"I just had to come and see you." She said, her blue eyes sparkling. I took a good look at her. She was so beautiful, even in the darkness. Her hair was cascading down her shoulders like a golden waterfall. Her lips were so full, it's like they were just waiting for me to kiss them.

"W...Why?" I ask.

"Sit up." She says, smirking.

I did as I was instructed. I look over at her. She was smiling. Then she leans in and kisses me, full on the lips. I'm surprised at this. Why would she come in my cell in the middle of the night to kiss me? Again, not like I'm complaining.

I kiss her back, and pull her closer towards me. If my dad found out what I was doing right now, I'd be dead. Literally. But I didn't care. At least I was getting kisses from Beth. That's pretty much all that I needed. Dad could kill me if he wanted.

Now she's sticking her tongue in my mouth. She tastes so good. My tongue begins to battle with hers. This couldn't get any better. Actually it can. I move my hand up her shirt, so quickly that she can't complain or pull away from me or something. Yeah, this couldn't be any better. I begin to pull her shirt over her head...

I awake with a jolt, my whole body covered in sweat. My hair is drenched. So is my body. I feel a hardness between my legs. I also feel ashamed. I've been having dreams like this for awhile now. I know that I should talk to my dad about these things, but after our "talk" yesterday, I really don't think that talking to him about my dreams about Beth. He did say that I was too young, but that was just to keep me away.

I sigh and get up. I look around. My father is up. Good.

"I'm going on a run." I announce to him.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm going on a run." I said again.

"Why?" He asked, scratching his head. Was he going crazy? Why else would I want to go?

"There's hardly anything left here." I say.

"There's plenty." He tells me.

"We're low on medical supplies. We need things for the baby." I say. Truth is, I just want to get out of here and walk around a bit, to clear out my head.

"Do you want someone to go with you?" He asked.

"No, I'm fine." I say.

XX

Everyone is all shocked that I'm going on a run. What's he big deal?

I leave, waving goodbye to all of them. "Be safe!" I hear my dad call out. He had offered to go with me, but I refused. What would be the point? I was pretty much only doing this to get away from him.

When I'm gone, he and Beth would probably make out and take care of Judith together, beth'll probably sing again... Ach. It was just too nasty to think about.

I walked around for awhile, killing any walkers that I needed to. I let one of the walkers come extremely close to me. I narrowed my eyes at it.

Suddenly, I saw my father's face on the walker instead of it's usual ugly, decomposing face.

"So you want Beth?" I asked it, backing up so it wouldn't catch me. It was growling and chomping its jaws.

I shot the walker right in the head. It collapsed to the ground.

"Well, you're not getting her." I told the downed walker.

Then, I suddenly felt disgusted about what I just did. I was pretending to shoot my own father. Guilt filled me like a big gray cloud.

I shook the guilt away. My father should be the one who feels guilty. He's the one who's flirting with my crush, a girl that's way too young for him.

I sighed and shot another walker. I headed into a jewelry Store that was close by. What would I find here? I have no idea, but I went inside anyway. There were only a few walkers in there, surprisingly enough. I shot them without thinking. A fee more walkers waltzed inside the store. Then more came. And more. They must have been trailing me, or they had just heard the gunshot.

I had to leave now, or I would get swarmed. I looked around nervously. More walkers were coming in by the second.

I began to move. They were coming closer and closer.

As as I was leaving, I spotted something interesting on one of the tables by the door. A bracelet. It had a few charms on it, but the most important one was the one that was a miniature microphone. It was perfect for a certain beautiful blond girl that liked to sing.

I pocketed it and ran out of the store as fast as I could.

XX

~POV: Rick

To be honest, I was quite nervous about my son going on a run alone. I offered to go with him, so did some others in the group, but he refused them all.

Why did I let him go? He could die out there! I know he's pretty sure of himself, but a walker could sneak up on him and get him from behind.

I sighed. I was too nervous at the moment. I took deep breaths and sunk down on the bed in my cell.

I massaged my throbbing temples. Then I heard her.

"I walked by colorful sidewalk.

Children with buckets of pastel chalk.

And I thought of you, my love.

I thought of you.

So I walked until the sun went down.

I thought that no one else was around.

Until I saw you, my love.

Until I saw you." She sang.

I smiled as she walked in my cell. I liked to think that she was singing her song to me, but she was holding Judith in her arms.

"She was crying, so I decided to sing to her." She said, blushing crimson. I smiled at her and took Judith into my arms.

"It's all good. Thanks." I said.

She smiled at me then, looking every bit like an angel. "You're welcome." She said.

XX

Maggie stormed into my cell later. Carl still wasn't back from his run, and Judith was sleeping soundly in my arms. What did Maggie want?

"Rick!" She shouted.

"What?" I asked. "And be quiet, the baby is sleeping."

"Ok. Daryl wanted me to relay a message to you." She told me. What did Daryl have to tell me now? That I shouldn't be looking at Beth again? Also, why couldn't he tell me himself?

"Oh, did he now. Why couldn't he tell me?" I asked.

"I don't know. He just told me that he wanted to have an arm wrestle fight with you in the cafeteria tonight." She said.

I cocked an eyebrow. Daryl wanted to arm wrestle with me? In the cafeteria? I'm sorry, but that is just too damn funny. And it sure doesn't sound like something Daryl would say. "Really?" I asked Maggie.

"Yeah. Why don't you just come down there now? Everyone's waiting." Maggie said.

"What?"

"Everyone wants to see how the fight unfolds, ya know, to see who wins. Especially Beth." She said, smirking.

When I heard Beth's name, something clicked inside of me and told me that I had to go arm wrestle Daryl. "I'm coming down there now." I told Maggie. Then I left my cell and headed for the cafeteria.

XX

~POV: Daryl

When Maggie told me about Rick wantin' ta arm wrestle me, my first thought was "What the hell?" Rick doesn't have any idea what he's gettin' himself inta. He wants ta arm wrestle me, fine. If he wants to embarrass himself in front of Beth, fine.

He'll lose. That's for sure. I headed down ta the cafeteria. I felt confident, somethin' I really ain't used to bein'.

Everyone was in the cafeteria. Literally. But the one that I was really lookin' for was Beth. And sure enough, she was right there. I smiled at her, and she smiled right back.

I sat at the table with Rick.

"Ya'll know the rules." Maggie said. "Best of three wins."

Rick and I put one hand behind our backs and joined our other free hands at the center.

Rick and I didn't speak while we fought. Rick was a tough opponent.

First round, Rick won. I heard a bunch of "Ooohs" and "Aaahs". I got real angry. I won the second round easily, cause I was pissed off.

Then came the final round. The tie breaker. Rick musta been tryin' extra hard, cause he was super hard to beat. But I did it. I pushed his arm down flat on the table.

"Yeah!" I cheered. Then I looked over at Beth. She was smilin'. I smiled back. I looked at Rick. He had his face in his hands, ashamed that he lost. Then he picked his head up and sighed.

"Where is everyone?" I heard someone ask. I turned around. It was Carl.

XX

~POV: Carl

I honestly had no idea what was going on in the cafeteria. I saw my dad and Daryl sitting at a table. Beth was smiling at them. My dad looked ashamed. What the... Were they fighting for Beth or something? Oh god. I felt sick.

Luckily, I had just put my "gift" under Beth's pillow...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song: "Masterpiece" by Emily Kinney


	4. Reactions

POV: Beth

After the whole arm wrestling thing had ended in the cafeteria, I slipped back into my cell and sunk into the bed with a smile on my face.

It was funny, having all of the guys fightin' for my attention. It was hilarious, actually. Honestly, I'm loving the whole thing and can't wait to see what stupid things they will do next.

I lay my head on my pillow, laughing to myself. This was great. I mean, I thought it was amazin' when it was only Carl who had a crush on me. Now that there were two other guys involved, it felt even better.

Which one of them do I like best though? I have no idea, but I know that I have to make a choice sometime. Or do I? I think it's too early to say. I'm just going to let this whole thing play itself out before I do anything rash.

I close my eyes and let a soft sigh escape my lips. Suddenly, I am aware of somethin' hard under the pillow pressing itself into my skull. I slip my hand under my pillow without opening my eyes and pull out a solid object. I open my eyes to check it out. It's a bracelet! I squint to see it better.

It has 3 charms on it. A lil heart, a lil shoe, and a lil microphone.

"Aaaaw..." I say to myself, fingering the charms. This bracelet was perfect. I smiled as I inspected it once again. I had to find out who got this for me. Had to.

Who got this for me? When? How did they get it under my pillow? Anyone could've done it while I wasn't in my cell.

Then it hit me. Carl. He went on a run yesterday, and he didn't come back with any supplies. So he had to get this right?

Then again, Rick or Daryl could've had this bracelet for awhile and snuck it in my cell, same as Carl could've. So I can't really say anything or draw any valid conclusions. Look at me, trying to sound all smart. But seriously, I had no real way of knowing who gave me the bracelet.

But I had ways of finding out. I slipped the bracelet on and my head fell back onto my pillow.

POV: Carl

I couldn't believe it. So Daryl had a thing for Beth too? That's it. I'm done. Beth won't even look at me now. I mean, Rick and Daryl were arm wrestling for her.

After everyone had left the cafeteria, I had asked Maggie what was going on.

"They were arm wrestlin'." She told me.

"And I'm guessing that my dad lost?" I asked, glancing back over at my father, who was still sitting at the cafeteria table.

"Yeah." She told me.

Then that's when it hit me that I was done. An arm wrestling match for Beth? Since my dad had apparently lost, I was next. And me arm wrestling Daryl? I would so lose. I've never even arm wrestled anyone before, so I have zero experience!

And that's why, even after all of the time that I have liked her, I lost Beth.

But then another thing hit me. Another crucial thing. The bracelet.

I smiled to myself, brushing a piece of hair out of my face. Maybe I do have a fighting chance after all.

XX

I hold my sister close, rocking her gently. My dad came in here a bit ago and handed her to me without even uttering a word. I assumed that meant that he wanted me to watch her, so that's what I did. She makes a cute gurgling sound as I pull her closer to me. I smile. She's the only part of my mother that I have left, so I have to cherish her. That and, well, she's the only sibling I have. That I'll ever have.

I look into her eyes. I see my mother, and all of the memories I had with her. I see the terrible pancakes. Picking me up after school, and driving me home in a car loaded with snacks. Holding my hand as we walked through the park, just as the sun was setting. How she reprimanded me when I went to get medicine and had to kill a few walkers, and how I got angry at her.

And then came the memory of her death. It was hard to even think about. I feel tears forming in my eyes. But I can't cry. I have to be a tough guy. I wipe my tears away quickly with one hand and look back down at my sister. This time, I didn't see my mother or any of her memories. Instead, there was Shane. I look up and shake any thoughts of Shane from my head. I don't need to think about that right now.

"Want to hear me sing?" I asked my sister, who replied with a light giggle. I smile at her and sing "Rock a bye baby". I'm louder than I intended to be, because as soon as I'm finished with the song, Beth slips into the cell.

"Singin', huh?" She asked. Then her eyes widened and she stared at me. "I'm not interrupting you, am I?" She asked.

"Not at all." I reply. My eyes flick to her wrist... And there it is! The bracelet. I smile.

"Never thought that you'd be singin'." She laughed.

"Yeah, you're much better." I tell her. Compliments, Carl. Girls loved them. She smiled.

"Thanks." Her cheeks turn a bit pink. Cute.

"No problem. Want to hold her?" I ask.

"If it's ok with you." She said sweetly.

"Of course." I told her, handing her my baby sister.

As soon as Beth took Judith into her arms, she began wailing, and Beth handed her back to me quickly.

"Guess she didn't want to be with me." She said.

"She just gets fussy sometimes. It's nothing personal." I told her.

"Oh I know. Babies."

"They're strange." I said, which caused her to laugh. I looked at her. I loved her laugh. I closed my eyes. Am I becoming obsessed?

"Yeah. I'm going to get some food, I'll be back. See ya around." She waved at me, which caused her bracelet to jangle, and walked out of my cell.

POV: Rick

So Daryl won against me yesterday. Big whoop. I know I may sound ridiculous saying this, but that's not all it's going to take to take me down.

I know, I know. I should be worrying about the zombies and keeping the group alive and all of that stuff, but we are pretty safe here. I mean, nothing has happened yet. They can't get in here. Sure, we need supplies, but going on a run is no big thing. Unless of course you get killed, but I prefer not to think of it that way.

Anyway, I'm starting to feel a little stupid doing all of this, fighting for a girl. But I really don't care at this point.

I've been thinking a lot about what Carl has been telling me. How I'm too old for Beth. But I disagree. Age differences do not matter, as long as you are in love and happy. As long as you both want it, it really does not matter.

Bur does Beth really want to be with me? Or is it just some sick fantasy?

Either way, I'm going to be fighting until she does want it, until she comes to me. Until it becomes like it should.

May the best man win.

XX

I went into the cafeteria to get breakfast, and there she was.

"Hey." I greeted. I hope that she wouldn't ignore me after last night's loss. No, she didn't seem like the type. Not at all.

She lifted her head, looking me in the eyes. "Hello." She answered softly.

I watched as she piled some food onto her plate, spotting something odd on her wrist. I check it out. It's a bracelet. It has little dangling charms on it. I feel a harsh pain in my heart. Daryl.

I mean, it had to be him who got it for her, right? I have never seen him this cocky ever before. It was crazy. Getting Beth a gift because he had won arm wrestling? He really thinks that he has her, huh?

Then again... My son went in a run yesterday, and came back with nothing, or so I thought. He probably brought this back, he just didn't bother to tell anyone, so he could make it a secret, special, gift for Beth.

It could've been either one of them, but I'm leaning more towards my son now that I'm thinking about it.

It also could've been neither of them. Maggie could've gotten it for her or something. That reminds me of the time when I first met Andrea, and she wanted to get that mermaid necklace for her sister.

Anyway, my son and Daryl have to remember that I'm a cop. And I'll use that to my advantage.

"You okay?" I heard Beth ask me. I snapped back into reality, feeling like a moron.

"I'm good." I tell her.

"Good. Are ya angry at Carl?" She asked.

I think for a few moments. What should I tell her? "No, he's just been a little distant to me lately. I'm not angry at him, I just haven't been talking to him. It makes me feel terrible, but..." That was it. I was all out of lies. What if Beth knows I was lying? Knew that I was fighting with Carl over her?

"It'll be ok." She told me, smiling. I smiled back at her.

"See ya around." She told me.

Hear that? She said she would see me later! Call me an immature child, but that has to mean that she likes me and wants to talk to me more, right? Bet that she didn't say that to Daryl or Carl!

XX

I really am starting to feel like an immature child. But I guess that love makes me feel that way. I mean, it's changing all of us. Carl's trying to act like a mature adult around Beth. Daryl gets more and more cocky and confident with himself every day.

And me? I'm slipping as leader.

Everyone had been complaint about the quality of my leadership. Not to my face, of course. But I've heard whispers about it here and there. And I don't appreciate it at all. I've done a lot for this group, to keep us together. And I'll admit it, I have been slipping. But does that really mean they have to talk behind my back? Am I really that bad now?

I know, I should stop these childish antics with Beth, fighting with my own son and best friend. But I can't. If I turn my back for one second, Daryl or Carl could swipe Beth away from me.

Here we go again. I can't help myself.

I feel just like I did when I was young and in love with Lori. I was really young then, but love really has no age. It's still the same feeling, whether you are 15 or 50. That's exactly why I feel the same way now as I did with Lori.

XX

Why the hell was she in Daryl's cell? Sitting on the bed next to him, smiling and giggling?

Was it because of the big win yesterday? Was she on his side now? I couldn't believe that I even thought about her and me after last night. If course. Girl goes for the tough guy. Didn't girls like leaders?

So I watched them sitting side by side on Daryl's bed, laughing and giggling about, my hands clenched in fists of rage. They didn't see me standing right in front of the cell, but I didn't mind. Not like I wanted then to catch me and say "Hey Rick, want to join us?" Or "Take a picture it'll last longer.

Then I heard footsteps approaching me, but I didn't care. I kept watching Daryl and Beth.

"Dad?" I turned around as soon as I heard that one word. Carl was wearing his hat, my hat, and he was holding Judith in his arms. Maybe he came to make peace with me. Oh, god. Listen to me.

In an instant, his eyes flickered to the cell, and Daryl and Beth. His eyes widened and he nearly dropped Judith at the sight.

"Need me to hold her?" I asked, simply to get him to look away from Beth and Daryl. He quickly handed the girl to me and walked off without speaking a single word.


	5. Rick's Revenge?

~POV: Daryl

Tongue tied. That's not a word that would usually be used to describe me, but that was how I was actin' around Beth. It was like she had some kind of spell on me, one that got rid a my ability to speak.

She was jus' sittin' beside me, and I couldn't even utter a word. I looked at her, waitin' for her to say somethin'. Lame, I know. But I really couldn't say nothing, it was that bad.

Be smooth Daryl. Use all of the charm that the ladies love.

I heard my inner voice or whatever the hell ya call it speakin' to me, but I just zoned it out.

"You ok, mister Dixon?" She asked, a devilish grin on her face. I felt myself loosen up a bit.

"Don't call me Mister Dixon." I say, and I swear that she looked hurt. I felt bad. I mean, who wouldn't? It's impossible to see such a pretty face so hurt and not feel one bit bad.

"No, I don't mean it like that. It jus... Doesn't sound right. I mean, when someone says mister Dixon, I see a lil girl in her schoolgirl uniform wit her hair in her pigtails, smilin' wit her lollipop and puppy dog..." I start, but Beth cuts me off. I don't blame her. I was speakin' in some jibber jabber.

"It's ok. I won't call you it." I mean, she could've just said "Daryl, please shut the hell up." I woulda gotten the message.

"So...uh..." I try like hell to change the subject, but fail miserably.

"What?" She stretches, showin' off that bracelet. I wanna ask her where it's from. I really do.

"Nothin'." I say, and we just sit in silence. Once again, I'm tongue tied. Hard to believe, I know.

I lean in closer to her, not even knowing what I'm doing. Am I really trying to kiss her?

Like she's sensing what I'm going to try, she pulls away and gives me a weird look.

"What?" I ask her, trying to act like I didn't just lean in to kiss her. I wanna smack myself for even thinkin' 'bout doing somethin' as dumb as that. She would never come near me again, and then I'd lose. And I hate losin' more than anything, ask anyone that I grew up with.

She doesn't answer and her eyes scan the room quickly. Finally, she breaks the silence by saying "So... Uh... Congrats on the big win yesterday."

I smiled for a second as I thought up a reply. See? I knew that girls loved guys who win things. That's one of the reasons I hate losin'. Girls don't like it. Another reason would have to be the way they the other person(the winner) tries to humiliate you, even long after the loss. I feel my smile grow a bit. Rick'll be in for some hell.

"Thanks." I finally manage.

"Was it hard to win? It seemed liked it was." She said. Should I tell her that it kind of was hard for me? Or should I lie and say that it totally wasn't?

"Kind of, I guess." I decide to say, because Rick did win a match.

She turns her head, probably thinkin' about what to say.

"Look." She said, her eyes on the entrance to the cell. Rick is standin' there, mouth agape. What was he doin'? Was this any of his business?

"The hell is he doin'?" I asked. He was just starin' at us as if we were in here playing with fucking walkers.

I get up ready to chew his ass out, but he turns and walls away. I laughed quietly to myself. He was actually afraid of me?

I sit back down beside Beth. But she gets up.

"I'll come back later, ok?" She says, walkin' away. I hate to see her go, but boy do I love watchin' her leave.

"Ok." I say.

As soon as she leaves, there is silence into cell. I sigh.

Ah, fuck.

POV: Beth

"You gotta pick one of 'em." Maggie says later, after I tell her about staying in Daryl's cell and Rick staring at us. We are in her cell, chatting like sisters are supposed to. We hardly do this anymore, like we user to before the apocalypse started. We would always go into her bedroom and chat about anything on our minds, and we always had tons of unnecessary fun. But I guess that between all of these zombies and multiple other problems, little things like the two of us talking are rare and cherished.

"Maggie, you don't realize how hard it is. You only have one guy after you." I say, and my sister glares at me.

"What're ya trying to say?" She asks sharply.

"Mags, I didn't mean it that way. I just mean that one guy likes you and you like him. It's easy. But I have 3 guys after me, and I think that I like them all. Not trying to say I'm better than you, I'm just confused about who I should choose." I say. I'm pretty glad that I have a sister to talk things through with. Especially an older one. I can only imagine how hard it would be without one.

"I understand. Wait... You like all of 'em?" She asks.

"I think. I'm not sure." I say quietly.

"Well... Which one do you like best?" She asks, and I have to think for a moment.

Rick

He's so strong, he's the leader, he's hot, he's a great father who'll do anything for his kids. And his eyes...

Carl

He's so adorable, and so sweet. He loves caring for his sister and I can't get over how cute it is how he wears his daddy's hat. And he has nice eyes just like his father.

Daryl

Don't even get me started. He's super sexy, he's funny, and he had that super sweet caring side that's he never shows to anyone, but some of us have caught him. And just like the others, he has those eyes. I think I'm officially a sucker for blue eyes. I blush at my own thoughts of the guys. What is wrong with me?

Which guy is best for me though? If I had to choose one or die... I guess I would die. I just can't make my mind up. And I was sure that if I did, I would wish that I was with the other ones... And then, when I got them, I would want whoever I had first back, and the vicious cycle would start all over again.

Also, I would have to find out who exactly gave me this bracelet. That would be tasking. Nobody was showing signs of surprise that I got it, signs that they gave it to me, anything. Maybe it was a joint effort. That would be adorable, but with the way these guy are acting now, I doubt that this is the answer. I've been leaning towards Carl, but you never know.

"Bethy?" I heard Maggie ask, breaking me out of my trance and forcing me back into reality.

"What?" I ask.

"You ok?" It looked like your were thinking about something."

"Yeah, I was."

She waits a few seconds before answering, her eyes scanning the entire room. "Want to know something?"

I eye her suspiciously. "What?" I ask, cocking a brow. She was smirking, so it must be something good. I wait anxiously. Like any girl, I love gossip.

"You know that arm wrestling thing that just happened?"

"Yeah?"

"I set it up." It took me a fee seconds to process this. As soon as I do, I smile.

"Sis, you are sneaky!" I joke, laughing.

She looked a bit surprised that I was joking about this. Did she actually think that I was going to be angry at her?

"I was meaning to help you make your decision. But I see that it didn't do that." She laughs.

"Yeah. I still don't know." I sigh.

"Well, they had an arm wrestling match for you. And they're BFFS. You know how it is, Bros before hoes, especially best buds. So they really like you. But Carl.. Has he done anything yet?"

"Well.." I say, fingering the charms on my bracelet. I look up to see Maggie eyeing my bracelet as well.

"You think it was him?" Maggie asked.

"Well it was there that night after the arm wrestling thing. Since Rick and Daryl were in the cafeteria, it was unlikely that they put it in there. Plus, Carl went on a run that night and supposedly came back with nothing, but you never know, he could've came back with this, saw that everyone was in the cafeteria, and took the chance to slip it under my pillow."

"Wow, you seem pretty sure of it." Maggie says.

I shrug. "It just seems like the most likely explanation. But you never know."

"Why don't you just ask then?"

"I don't want to start an all out war. Once I found out who, the other guys will find out and probably target him or something."

"Isn't that what you want?"

I think for a moment. Is it really? Do I really want three guys to start hating each other over me?

YES.

I don't know what exactly I was thinking, but I wanted to be able to make my choice soon. Maybe once I'm able to make my decision(that'll be the day), the other two guys will be accepting of it and act mature. I have a feeling that it won't go that way, but we're all part of a group and we need to accept each other's decisions sooner or later, preferably sooner. But I might never make a choice.

"You know, I think that watching them fight for me is quite... Entertaining." I say, giggling.

"Must be. How could it not?" Maggie asked.

"It is."

"Maybe the only time you should actually end up making a choice is when it starts to get violent." Maggie is grinning now, I can tell they she is enjoying this as much as I am. Must be fun somehow to watch your little sister struggle to choose one guy. Don't know how, but I guess it is.

"I guess." I laugh.

Suddenly, a voice interrupts out conversation.

"Maggie, you in here?"

It was Glenn.

"GLENN, GO AWAY!" Maggie shouted.

"You two okay?" He asks, taking a step in the cell and eyeing both of us. Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was an odd sight, considering how little time we spend together now.

"What did I say?" Maggie says. I laugh. This reminds me of the old times when we were young little girls. We would always kick our daddy out, claiming that our meetings were "girls only".

"Okay, okay. I was just making sure. You guys hungry or anything?" Glenn asks.

"No. Stay one more minute and you're not getting any tonight." Maggie jokes, and Glenn runs out of the cell like he's on fire.

Maggie and I laugh for so long, it feels like 30 minutes. But it feels good. Once again I am reminded of the time before all of this, and it makes me terribly sad. Why did things have to be this? Then again, if things weren't like this, Maggie wouldn't have met Glenn and I wouldn't have met any of the three guys they I'm struggling to choose right now. But to be completely honest, the guys do not matter to me. Sisters are forever. Guys aren't. And yet, here I am trying to figure out which guy to choose. I look at Maggie.

"We should do this more often." I tell her, and I really mean it.

"Do what?" She asks.

"You know. Just hang out, talk, laugh. Just us."

My sister smiles. "You're right. We should."

POV: Rick

To be completely honest, I don't really want to be fighting with my own son and Daryl. It doesn't feel right, and it's breaking us apart. Daryl is my best friend. Carl is my son. I should just back off and let one of them have Beth, but there is a voice deep inside of me telling me that it can't happen that way. I want Beth, and they're just going to have to accept it, just like I had said before.

I see that Daryl is under the impression that he's ahead of me because of his win and the fact that he was in her cell sitting beside her. Two can play at this game, and Daryl is not going to like the outcome.

Like I said, it shouldn't be this way. I don't want this. They could make it easier by just giving up. Look at how ridiculous I sound. But that's just how it is.

XX

She has Judith again. This is why she would be perfect with me. She loves taking care of my child, we'd be perfect parents for the baby and Carl. That's why she wouldn't go with anyone else.

I smile. If it were anyone else I never would admit this, but Beth is kind of a better parent than I am in some aspects. Maybe she could teach me better and correct what I do wrong. Seems legit. And right.

She would sing to the baby, put her to sleep, then she could sing to me. It would be totally perfect. Am I fantasizing too much? I think not. I think I'm just thinking ahead and planning my future.

I sigh. Would Lori like this? Would she be okay with me moving on? If she could tell me, she would probably be okay with it. Another question I've been thinking about: if Lori was still here, would I even have these feelings? If so, how would I even go about it? I don't dwell on these questions, because I see Beth approaching.

"Here's your little bundle of joy." She says, smiling as she hands me the child.

"Thanks." I say, and she starts to walk away.

"Wait!" I call out, and she turns abruptly and approaches me again.

"What?" She asks.

To be completely honest, I have no idea what to say.

"Did you take care of babies a lot when you were younger?" I ask. Its all I can think of at the second.

"Sometimes. Why?" She asks, even though I think that she knows the answer to that. I smile.

"You're really good at taking care of Judith. I mean, I've raised a child before, but I never mastered putting a baby to sleep as quick as you do."

"I don't know. Must come naturally to me, I guess." She laughs, and I examine her face. She is so beautiful. The way her eyes shine and the way her gorgeous hair frames her face is all too much for me. Her smile makes it worse.

I'm a grown ass man. I shouldn't be feeling this way, I should be able to control myself. So why the hell did I lean over and kiss her out of nowhere?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Don't fret, this doesn't exactly mean that Beth and Rick are going to get together... Or are they? Thanks for reading!


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